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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · bat · pit · mouse · club · bowl · shower · stem

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. object — to protest
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. club — a group
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. club — for golf
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. object — a thing
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. object — an aim
  22. stem — to come from
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — a meteor shower

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com